We were told to say our goodbyes to our baby son after he turned cold and blue’
A mum has shared the terrifying story of how her baby son nearly died just days after finally coming home from hospital. Asha Richardson gave birth to her son Lennox 10 weeks early after she developed pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.
He was very small when he was born, weighing only 3lbs 4oz, and had to spend several weeks in a special care unit before doctors felt he was strong enough to go home.
As a first-time mum, Asha decided to stay at her own mum’s house in Great Asby, Cumbria, so she could have extra support while caring for her tiny newborn. But just two days after bringing Lennox home, something went terribly wrong. He suddenly became very ill and stopped responding.
It quickly became a race against time. Paramedics arrived to find Lennox blue and cold to the touch. An air ambulance from the Great North Air Ambulance Service was called and reached them very quickly.
The specialist medical team treated Lennox at the scene before flying him and his mum to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, a journey that took around 20 minutes.
Doctors discovered that Lennox had sepsis and meningitis, both life-threatening infections. He was rushed straight into the paediatric intensive care unit. When Asha arrived at the hospital, she was heartbreakingly told to prepare for the worst and say goodbye to her baby. She sat beside him in intensive care, watching the machines and listening to every beep, not knowing what each sound meant or what would happen next.
Lennox spent a week in intensive care and another two weeks on a hospital ward before being transferred closer to home to Lancaster Hospital. Amazingly, he was well enough to be discharged on Christmas Eve. Asha believes that if it were not for her health visitor encouraging her to call for help, the quick response from the paramedics, the air ambulance crew, and the emergency team at Alder Hey, her son might not have survived. Against all odds, Lennox pulled through.
Now eight years old, Lennox is a happy, energetic boy who loves spending time with his family. He enjoys building Lego, reading books, playing football with his dad, and going on bike rides together. He shares a close bond with his younger brother, who is three and a half.
Lennox also spends a few months each year in Ghana, West Africa, where his family has set up a charity to help support a small local community. Seeing how some of his friends there live in poverty has helped shape him into a kind and thoughtful child who cares deeply about others.
After everything her family went through, Asha felt determined to give something back. In 2018 and 2019 she completed a challenge of walking 5km every day to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service. During the COVID lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, she pushed herself even further, walking 8km every single day and often bringing Lennox along with her. Together they raised thousands of pounds to support the lifesaving charity.
Asha says she will always be grateful for the speed and care that saved her son’s life. For her, supporting the air ambulance means helping other families who may one day find themselves in a similar emergency. The charity has now launched an appeal called Operation SOS: Secure Our Service, aiming to raise £2.5 million to secure a deposit for a third new helicopter so they can continue saving lives.
